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Category: African American Studies

Altadena’s Black community disproportionately affected by Eaton Fire, report shows

UCLA study shows systemic inequalities and redlining practices contributed to fire vulnerability and impacts

The 2025 aftermath of the Eaton Fire in Altadena. / Photo Courtesy: Mayra Beltran, Los Angeles County

Kacey Bonner

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The Eaton Fire has had devastating and disproportionate impacts on Altadena’s Black community, according to a new data brief from the UCLA Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies, the UCLA Center for Neighborhood Knowledge and the UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute.

“Altadena’s Black community has long served as a symbol of resilience and opportunity in the Los Angeles region, but the Eaton Fire exposes how decades of segregation and the legacy of redlining practices have left Black households more vulnerable,” said Lorrie Frasure, a professor of political science and African American studies who directs the Bunche Center. “The recovery process must acknowledge this historic legacy and the disparities stemming from it to provide tailored support that ensures the restoration and future of this vibrant community.”

According to the report, at least 2,800 Black households were forced to evacuate within a day of the Eaton Fire’s outbreak on Jan. 7, 2025. As flames ravaged the area, a disproportionate number of homes damaged or destroyed were concentrated in neighborhoods historically occupied by Black residents. Now, the middle-class enclave not only faces the challenge of rebuilding and restoring residents’ homes, but also the long-term challenges stemming from systemic inequities to sustain and grow this historic Black community.

The study highlights several key findings:

  • Disproportionate impact: 61% of Black households in Altadena were located within the fire perimeter, compared with 50% of non-Black households. Nearly half (48%) of Black households were destroyed or sustained major damage, compared with 37% experienced by non-Black households.
  • Impacts of redlining and legacy of housing discrimination: Historical redlining practices resulted in the concentration of Black families into the areas of Altadena most affected by the fire, exacerbating vulnerabilities.
  • An aging population at risk: With 57% of Black homeowners in Altadena over age 65, many face unique barriers to recovery, including the possibility of insufficient insurance and risks of financial exploitation related to rebuilding or restoring their homes.
  • Interruption of generational wealth and declining homeownership: The fires will directly disrupt the passage of property to younger Black community members, making the transfer of generational wealth in this community uncertain. Additionally, rising property values and preexisting barriers to homeownership for Black buyers prevent younger Black people from buying in the area. These two factors threaten to erase Altadena’s Black community altogether.

The data brief notes that Black residents impacted by the Eaton fire, which burned more than 14,000 acres, will face unique challenges that require tailored solutions to address systemic inequities exacerbated by this crisis.

“The Eaton Fire has the potential to accelerate the decline of Altadena’s Black community, erasing generations of progress,” Frasure said. “Policymakers and relief organizations must act swiftly to protect the legacy and future of this historic community.”

“It is critical to place the consequences of the Eaton Fire in a broader historical and societal context,” said Paul Ong, research professor and director of the UCLA Center for Neighborhood Knowledge. “Doing so highlights the numerous challenges and inequalities African Americans face in the United States today.”

The authors stress that Altadena, a hub of Black homeownership and cultural vibrancy, now faces an uncertain future. They point to their findings as a stark reminder of the systemic inequities that persist, at least in part, due to the legacy of discriminatory housing policies. Their report calls for disaster recovery strategies that are equitable – prioritizing not only immediate restoration but also the sustainability of historic communities, which remain among the most vulnerable to disasters.

This story was originally published in the UCLA Newsroom on January 28, 2025

Honoring Juneteenth with art, education and community-building

Cheryl Keyes profile picture
“Prelude to Juneteenth Day Celebration” is produced by Cheryl Keyes, chair of the UCLA Department of African American Studies and professor of ethnomusicology and global jazz studies.

Professor Cheryl Keyes invites all to join UCLA’s campus prelude celebration on June 5

Cheryl Keyes profile picture
“Prelude to Juneteenth Day Celebration” is produced by Cheryl Keyes, chair of the UCLA Department of African American Studies and professor of ethnomusicology and global jazz studies.

By Jonathan Riggs

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For Cheryl Keyes, the celebration has been a long time coming.

Ever since Juneteenth (June 19) became the newest federal holiday in 2021, Keyes, chair of the UCLA Department of African American Studies, has been carefully planning how she could best commemorate it on a big Bruin scale.

Everyone is invited to see how her hard work and dedication will pay off June 5 at Royce Hall with UCLA’s inaugural Prelude to Juneteenth Day Celebration: Honoring Our Past, Celebrating Our Future, a free multimedia event that incorporates a variety of creative, academic and inspiring voices.

“I want to celebrate Black life with a lineup of artists and educators whose work will titillate the soul and reflect the incredible interdisciplinary scholarship of our department,” said Keyes, who produced the event. “We took the time and put the passion into making this program something that celebrates inclusive excellence, community engagement and the rich history of the Black experience.”

During the long and thoughtful planning process, the event’s shape began to crystallize after Keyes had a serendipitous conversation with Earl Stewart, an acclaimed composer and associate professor emeritus at UC Santa Barbara. Inspired by her vision, he revealed that he had a very special connection to the holiday.

During his last year of graduate school, Stewart became interested in Juneteenth when his colleague Melvin Wade shared his research on an article about the actual activities that took place on the day. He also discovered that Wade’s mentor was one of the top Black Texas legislators who successfully led the push for Juneteenth to become a state holiday in 1980. Having learned about its true meaning, Stewart decided that Juneteenth should be commemorated by a symphony.

“While working on the composition, I began to see Juneteenth as something more than just a celebration of the freedom of Black people from slavery. To me, Juneteenth also symbolized the political birth of the African American race,” Stewart said. “Although African Americans gave themselves specific names before their liberation, we were not officially recognized as a specific people in America until after the Emancipation Proclamation. It is a complete honor for me to participate in this UCLA celebration and premiere my Juneteenth symphony.”

Another aspect that Keyes wanted to illuminate in the celebration is the idea that Black history did not begin with American enslavement, but with great empires in Africa. And so Keyes, who is also a professor of ethnomusicology and global jazz studies, composed her own piece for orchestra, “Sundiata Keita Overture,” named in honor of the royal founder of the Mali Empire. Like Stewart’s “Symphony #4: Juneteenth,” it will receive its world premiere at the event.

The event’s lineup of artists also includes actor Abdoulaye N’Gom, emcee James Janisse, freestyle lyricist Medusa the Gangsta Goddess and guest conductor Antoine T. Clark, among other luminaries.

“To participate in this particular celebration and return to the community that nurtured me as a scholar, an artist and an engaged citizen is an honor and a privilege,” said choreographer/dancer Bernard Brown, who earned an MFA from UCLA in 2017. “Supporting the arts supports the best of humanity. Come and be moved by the beauty and truth of Black music and dance!”

“I’m hoping that my musical performance is received as the sum of my own personal ancestry in America,” said violinist Karen Briggs, who is also known as the “Lady in Red.” “Fundamentally, I see myself as a sum of those that came before me and in a way that could have only come authentically from the legacy of the African American spirit. I am proud to be able to present this aspect of my culture through the voice of the violin.”

The event is likely to be as educational as it is emotionally moving, whether attendees are already knowledgeable about the history and meaning of Juneteenth or are learning about it for the first time.

“UCLA is fortunate to have such a remarkable department, led with such creativity, wisdom and compassion. It is no surprise that professor and department chair Cheryl Keyes has set and achieved her vision of creating an event as powerful, uplifting and resonant as this important occasion deserves,” said Abel Valenzuela, dean of the UCLA Division of Social Sciences. “I encourage everyone to attend this important celebration and to carry its message of history, hope and healing forward.”

This article, written by Jonathan Riggs, originally appeared in the UCLA Newsroom.

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